Hunting the Haunted
by lemmings-please
Summary: Nightmares are things to be feared... nightmares ARE fears... and now the fear is real. A single Shikon shard can change everything, this time giving one demon the power to make real a person's greatest fear. And fear can kill even the bravest.
1. Prologue

_Okay, here's a story from me! Hopefully I won't get into as much blockiness as I did with the last two, but... ^_^;; You can never tell! I've got plans for this, though... I know exactly where I want it to go. We'll just have to wait and see! The prologue is rather dark, even though this IS an angst-y fic sort of thing. I'm not too great at this, so bear with me. Don't expect **too** frequent updates... I'm not perfect, unfortunately. _

**Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, I wouldn't bother writing this for you! BWAHAHAHA! Count your lucky stars, I guess. I'm sad. u.u**

~*~ 

**_Hunting the Haunted_ **

PROLOGUE 

Obieru stepped forth from the shadows. The man in the baboon pelt--Naraku--turned, half-surprised at the demon's early arrival. Obieru suppressed a snort. A demon should know that one should expect anything, especially where Shikon shards were concerned. 

"Ah, so you are here," Naraku said smoothly. "What are your powers? Are they capable of crushing that hanyou, Inuyasha? Are they capable of crushing his human companions?" 

Obieru sighed. Nobody gave a nightmare any respect. Nightmares were things to be feared. Nightmares _were_ fears. Nightmares were solid, supreme. Nightmares were unconquerable. People feared nightmares because of this. People feared what they could not control. 

"Yes, my lord. My powers are things that nobody can overcome easily, if at all. _If_ I should fail at destroying the mind of this hanyou, he will be weak enough for anyone to finish him easily." 

Naraku glanced at him. "If your powers are so mighty, test them on my servant." From behind him came a woman with red eyes and an open fan. She looked at Naraku distrustfully, setting her gaze upon Obieru. 

The demon spent a few seconds looking at her, then almost carelessly tossed a ball of black light at her. 

The woman reflexively caught it. Then her eyes widened as the black light crept under her skin, rushing toward her face to pool behind her eyes, making her see what Obieru wished her to see. 

The demon himself was looking through a small mirror emitting the same black light. Pictures flashed upon its surface. He nodded slowly as he saw the image of a pool of golden light in Naraku's hand, molding to become a heart. Kagura's heart. The image Naraku squeezed, and Kagura fell to her knees in agony. 

Through the mirror he saw a fang, wielded by the hanyou Naraku wished to kill so very badly. The hanyou swung it down, through the air, and he saw the image Kagura's fan break under the pressure. The image Kagura's control over the winds snapped, and her wind blades turned from their course toward Inuyasha to embed themselves in her own body. The real Kagura flinched as each image blade struck her image self, her hands coming up to try to stop the nonexistent blood flow. 

Her struggle was useless. All she saw and felt was only in her mind. 

"Stop," Naraku ordered slowly. He was pleased at this display of power, Obieru could tell, but didn't wish for his servant to die in the recesses of her own mind. 

It wasn't even a quarter of his real power. Kagura's mind was especially vulnerable to an attack such as this. She was living most of her fears in the waking world already. But Obieru could take those and multiply them a hundredfold to bring her to her knees. If it was her fear, he could have her image self die. And since her image self was her reflected soul, she would die as well. 

That would not work on her, however, as dying was one thing she did not fear. Quite the opposite, actually. She wished for it daily. So in a case such as hers, where the soul did not fear death, he would merely trap the soul in their other fears and kill their body with one stroke. 

Nightmare demons were aptly named. 

Naraku looked up from his crumpled 'servant'--though from Obieru's sifting through Kagura's thoughts, he knew she was something much different--to give the nightmare demon a thoughtful look. 

"This is only a fraction of your power, yes?" 

Obieru nodded. "Kagura was especially susceptible to her fears." 

Naraku looked away. "I'm sure that Inuyasha will be as well, though I'm sure he will be harder to penetrate. He has evaded many of my mind traps because of his thoughts about a certain human girl." 

Obieru smirked. "In my case, I'm sure that will be a weakness. If this girl brings him out of one nightmare, it will only lead to one about her being killed." 

Naraku looked thoughtful. "That is good to know. Just to make sure you do not fail, I give you this." He held out one hand, offering a shard of the Shikon Jewel. 

Obieru took it from the hanyou's fingers, examining the dark, tainted aura it gave off. He could tell that it could boost his strength greatly. It could also do something that would make his nightmares that much more deadly. 

Of course, he would choose the second option. Instead of imbedding the tiny shard into his forehead as he could have done, he chose to lay it in a small crack in the surface of his mirror. 

Naraku looked on, and Obieru could nearly feel the waves of confusion rolling off him. 

"You wish to see why I chose to put the shard in my mirror?" Obieru asked, smiling. "I will show you." 

With one smooth motion he sent a cloud of the black youki rolling toward the hanyou. To the nightmare demon's surprise, from under the baboon pelt, several root-like tentacles appeared. Quickly looking into the mirror, he saw only the image of a puppet with a dark hair strung around it. Kugutsu. 

Snorting, Obieru twitched his fingers to send the youki cloud under the "skin" of the kugutsu and crawling towards the wooden puppet buried inside. The dark cloud condensed to merge with the puppet, breaking it. But not before he sent some of that youki through to the master puppet. 

He could see through the mirror the master puppet, with a dark haired young man sitting near it. His youki exploded from the master puppet when it cracked. The man's head snapped up at the loud noise, right as the cloud enveloped his body. 

Just as it had with Kagura, the youki sunk under Naraku's skin to pool behind the hanyou's eyes. Obieru searched the man's thoughts, finding many crevices of fear for his nightmares to sink into. 

The mirror flipped from the image of Naraku himself to images of Naraku's fears. Namely, one Onigumo. 

Obieru watched as the image Naraku put a hand to the spider mark on his back, the burn swelling larger and larger to encompass him. The demons were expelled from the ex-hanyou's body, all that once held them together now being the force that drove them out. Obieru watched in satisfaction as Naraku's face twisted from shock to horror to pure delicious fear, as Onigumo resurfaced entirely. No longer was Naraku a hanyou. He was human. He was Onigumo. 

Once the nightmare was completed, Obieru had the mirror show him the real Naraku. But he could see no difference between reality and the image. Naraku's nightmare had been real. The Shikon shard had given Obieru the power to make real a person's greatest fear. 

Nightmares truly were fearsome. 

And now the fear was real. 

~*~ 

Onigumo opened his eyes to the sight of a demon. This demon was awfully familiar. Black eyes, black hair, black robes, one hand holding a mirror, the other hovering near the hilt of a katana at his side. The demon emitted a steady, slow stream of dark youki similar to the glow of a tainted Shikon shard. 

He knew this demon. Obieru. 

Obieru looked up from the mirror he held to meet the eyes of the frightened human before him. Onigumo was weak from his ordeal, helpless against a full demon with boosted powers. He was not worth an effort. 

The nightmare demon turned to see the demons that had been a part of what was once Naraku. They gathered in a corner of the room, near the shoji, trying to regain their strength. 

Obieru smiled, drawing his katana to point at them. His dark youki crept along the blade, mist-like, to form a cloud around the cowering demons, squeezing tighter and tighter to form Naraku anew. Their powers were squeezed from their bodies to form a pool of liquid miasma. 

The essence of Naraku. 

From what he had seen in his mirror, Onigumo's worst nightmare was to become trapped in Naraku once more. Ironic, that what both Naraku and Onigumo wanted was to be separate beings, yet neither had the power. 

Obieru crushed and squeezed the essence tighter together, forming solid spikes of the miasma. Then, picking up the poisonous objects, turned to Onigumo. 

~*~ 

Kagura staggered into the courtyard of Naraku's castle, calling out her hated master's name. She had awoken a few minutes earlier, finding both the kugutsu and Obieru gone, and had returned to try to find more information. Unfortunately, she couldn't see her master's outline behind the shoji screens. Wondering where he could be, she slid one back to reveal the interior of the castle. 

The wind demon bit back a gasp at what she found. A human--Onigumo, most likely--lay pinned to the floor with spikes formed of solid miasma, like a beetle to a card. He breathed raggedly, still alive, but she knew that the poison was seeping into his bloodstream. 

This was what that nightmare demon had done to her master. Obieru had separated Naraku's demon and human essences, then solidified the former to let them dissolve back together in the most painful way possible. Naraku was alive, to be sure, but probably wishing he was dead. 

Most definitely wishing he was dead. 

And had she known what mercy was, she would have given it to him. 

~*~ 

_It's kind of dark, I guess, but that's what angst is for! *cackle* Just wait until we get to the plot--- You'll shake in the face of my imagination! BWAHAHA! Anyway, We'll get things rolling down that rocky, angst-filled path soon enough. Just you wait..._


	2. Imposter

_Finally_ updating... sorry everyone, major projects suck. It's finally over! Yay! ^_^ I tried to post this a few days ago, but ff.net was broken. At least I got it up though! Stare in awe at my amazing accomplishment! I'm going to Canada to visit relatives this weekend, so I'm not going to be able to manage an amazing uber-fast update, but the next chappie's almost done, so it won't be as long as last time. Read on! 

~*~ 

**_Hunting the Haunted_ **

CHAPTER ONE:   
Imposter 

"Good night, Inuyasha!" 

"Feh." 

Yes, it was a normal night. Kagome sighed, shook her head, and continued to unroll her sleeping bag. They had retrieved another shard today, so Inuyasha should have been in a better mood. For some reason, he wasn't. 

Kagome glared at her neatly unrolled sleeping bag darkly. He probably smelled Kikyo around, and was waiting for everyone to go to sleep so he could visit her. Well, she wasn't going to fall asleep! She would stay up to make sure he didn't leave. Then again... maybe it would be best if she went straight to sleep. She wouldn't want to catch them kissing again... 

Oh no! Kagome wasn't going to let that happen again! She would confront him before she let that happen! Or something like that... 

Kagome determinedly crawled into her warm nest, Shippo snuggling at her side. 

"Good night, Kagome-chan," Sango called. 

"Good night, Kagome-sama," Miroku said from the same direction. 

SLAP. 

"PERVERT!" Oh dearie me. Who saw that coming? 

"Good night, all of you," Kagome replied, staring resolutely up at the stars. She wasn't even going to blink! Not if... it meant... _yaaaaaawn_ ...Inuyasha leaving... to go... see... Kikyo... 

She was asleep before she even realized it. 

~*~ 

Inuyasha was in a bad mood. 

They had gotten another shard today, so he should have been feeling better, but _NO_. He just _HAD_ to have stepped on that really, really sharp rock while he was walking in front of the group, earlier. If he'd been in the back, he could have pulled the rock out, but _NO_, he was walking in the front. People walking in the front of their groups don't go pulling rocks out of their feet in plain sight! 

So he had to walk. For miles. With a rock in his foot. Without limping. Or making any noises or faces. With Shippo POKING HIM IN THE HEAD WITH A STICK! 

Inuyasha glared down at the irritating kitsune. He was drooling. Idiot. 

The hanyou's glare softened as it shifted to Kagome. She was drooling too. Idiot. 

Then Inuyasha noticed the monk watching him. He quickly put on his "feh" face. "Keh! What do you want, bouzo?" 

Miroku only smiled and shook his head. "You'll have to admit it one of these days, Inuyasha. Both to her and to yourself." 

"Feh!" Inuyasha turned away, frowning. He knew exactly what the monk meant, but would strangle himself before accepting it. There was Kikyo, after all... 

Oh, who was he kidding? Kikyo didn't mean anything. Miroku was right. He had to admit it. 

"...Sit, you baka... Leave him alone..." Kagome mumbled. 

WHAM! 

"BITCH!" 

Kagome was still asleep. And still drooling. Idiot. 

Inuyasha jumped back up into his tree, growling. 

He would admit it someday. But not now. 

So he settled down for a quick nap. 

~*~ 

Kagome's dream was a happy one about happy bunnies and kittens and canaries and pink pillows and Inuyasha bopping Shippo on the head. That part wasn't so happy, so she sat him, and then he went away and she was happy again. The sun shone down into the meadow, green grass rippling and sakura blossoms dancing in the breeze. It was a picture of happiness... 

Suddenly, one of the frolicking happy kittens warped and changed... What was going on? Kagome watched, horrified, as its skin peeled off to reveal the hideous beast within. Its mouth opened wide and began sucking everything inside, in a manner far too much like Miroku's kazaana for comfort. 

Strangely enough, Kagome wasn't being sucked inside. Her hair blew forward, toward the black hole, tangling and whipping into her mouth. The wind rushed by, cold as ice, making her shiver beneath her thin pajamas. She could only watch as everything streamed past her. 

There went the bunnies... canaries... pillows... Inuyasha--- 

_Inuyasha!_

Kagome made a frantic grab for his bare foot as he went by, but missed, her fingers just brushing against his heel. She could only watch, helpless, as he was sucked away to his certain doom. She could hear his whisper... 

_"Kagome..."_

She sat, eyes wide in shock, fingers digging into what had once been grass, but what was now fresh gravesoil. A tear dribbled from her eye, flying into the void of the monster's gaping mouth. "He's gone..." 

And of course, no one ever knows what they have until it's gone. 

It was at that moment that Kagome knew what Inuyasha was to her. Maybe... just _maybe_... a little more than a friend. 

She shook her head in the gusting wind, eyes squeezed shut, trails of liquid light streaming down her face and twinkling into the blackness, to be snuffed out for eternity. She _couldn't_ let this happen, but what was she supposed to do? Get sucked into the hole and die with him? 

That wouldn't solve anything! 

But... it was worth a try, right? 

Kagome stood, scrubbing tears from her face to see better, spitting her hair out of her mouth, and then jumped. 

It was like falling through the well… such a familiar sensation. Then, as the hazy purple-blue light filtered around her, her memories of all that had occurred in the meadow were washed away as if they had never been. 

~*~ 

Kagome sat on the rim of the well, waiting for Inuyasha to turn up and yell at her for being late. It was sad, really, that this was how it was. She had come early just to please him, and now she was waiting for him to yell at her. 

She kicked her feet gently, knocking them against the wood next to where her yellow backpack and bow rested. It was so peaceful... the birds twittering in the forest, the clouds skidding across the blue sky... 

The last thing she expected was to feel sharp claws ripping into her shoulder from behind. 

Kagome's mind froze as she fell forward, landing softly on her knees only to crumple to the ground. Her eyes were wide, looking for an answer other than the one in front of her face. 

There stood Inuyasha, smirking, a clawed hand raised towards her. From his fingers dripped a cold, murky red liquid. Fresh blood. 

_Her_ blood. 

She drew in a long breath, eyes fixed upon the liquid death dripping from his claws. Red droplets fell slowly, as if suspended in time, splattering down to contrast sharply with the healthy green grass. 

"You... you hurt me," she breathed slowly, not believing. "You really... hurt me..." 

"That's right," the hanyou said. "No imposter of Kikyo is going to leave this forest alive." 

The words stabbed into Kagome's heart, slicing her to pieces more efficiently than any weapon would ever be able to. Cold sweat dripped from her face, as she mouthed the words he had spoken. _Imposter...?_

The smirk on his face morphed into a snarl. "I know Kikyo, imposter. And you are _not_ her." 

"Kikyo? You... think that I'm... Kikyo?" Kagome choked. She dug into the dirt, twisting the grass and moss entwined in her fingers as she tried to push herself up. Her arms nearly gave up on her, the gashes in her back stretching with the effort. She thought one of them might have punctured one of her lungs--- each breath came harder than the last. She finally managed to sit up, propping herself against the smooth wood of the well as she searched for her bow and arrows with numb fingers. 

Inuyasha growled. "You are _not_ Kikyo! You will never be Kikyo!" 

Kagome's fingers moved more frantically, finally finding the smooth surface of her bow. She kept her eyes locked on his, noticing one thing. 

He had no pupils. 

Inuyasha's golden eyes had no pupils, pointing to some sort of spell. If she searched with her aura, she could see the cloud of youki surrounding him. If she only had the strength--- 

Inuyasha dove, claws aimed for her throat--- 

She fitted the arrow to her bow and pulled it back, aiming faster than she ever had in her entire life--- 

_Please, don't miss!_

It flew, straight and true, just grazing the side of Inuyasha's head, drawing the tiniest amount of blood. In its wake was the familiar blaze of purifying power. It dissipated the cloud of youki surrounding him, also sucking away his youkai power. 

In less than a second, the arrow had lodged itself in a tree, and a now human Inuyasha grunted as he tilted his path slightly to the left, pulling his hand back, slamming himself into the side of the well. If he hadn't, his hand would have ended up in her throat. 

Kagome's vision blurred, blood loss finally taking its toll. She dropped her bow, not registering the frantic face before her. The last thing she heard was the cry of _"KAGOME!"_ before everything went black. 

~*~ 

Kagome sat straight up in her sleeping bag, heart thumping wildly in her chest. That had been the scariest dream she'd had in years. Inuyasha had nearly... nearly _killed_ her... 

Kagome shivered, but then looked up at Inuyasha. A small smile formed upon her lips. 

He was drooling. Idiot. 

She looked away again, wondering more about her dream. What had the spell been about? Had it shown him things he wasn't really seeing? That would explain why he called her an imposter... 

The words echoed in her head. 

_"No imposter of Kikyo is going to leave this forest alive..." _

"I know Kikyo, imposter..." 

"You are not_ Kikyo! You will never be Kikyo!"_

But wasn't that the way he really felt about her? _He doesn't think there's a difference,_ she thought coldly. _To him I'm just a replacement... an imposter..._

A small tear dribbled down her face. She sniffed, wiped the tear away, then lay back down. Hopefully she wouldn't dream again... 

~*~ 

Inuyasha bit back a yell as he abruptly woke. What a horrible dream--- he had nearly slaughtered Kagome! He quickly looked down at her. 

She was sleeping fairly peacefully, a frown on her face. She was curled into a ball around Shippo, twitching every once in a while. Though it was clear she was not having a terrifying dream, he knew it was far from a peaceful slumber. 

A breeze carried the trace of--- tears? Had Kagome been crying? He leaned farther over to try to see her face... 

Yes. A single trail. One tear had fallen. 

What had it been for? What was she crying about? 

Feeling slightly uneasy, Inuyasha settled back. Something wasn't right... 

~*~ 

Obieru smiled as he watched events unfold. Two down, three to go... 

~*~ 

Review Responses! 

_elyndewen startree_: Of course Obieru is evil! I made him that way. XP 

_Kagome44_: I updated! W00T for me! ^_^ 

_SilverTailz_: *plays violin along with the piano* 

_Wakadori Ramen_: Oh! Fluffy! I almost forgot about him! I could put him in right... here! Yes... *scribbles in notebook* Thanks, that clears up a little plot screw up I was having. He won't be main, but he's gonna do something important-ish. ^_^ 

_FireDemond_: O.O;; *scoots away* 

_Nicole_: *sniffle* You think my OC is good? *burst into tears* I haven't been complimented in forever! WAAAAAH!! Thanks so much! *goes off to cry where people won't stare so much* 

_Mad-Cabbage_: It IS beautimus, isn't it? *is proud* 

_Ayrith_: *blush* You're complimenting me too? Awww... arigatou. About Kagura's fear, I didn't really think about it much. I guess it's just that she fears losing her power over the one thing she _can_ control, ya know? Cuz she can't even control her own life, really... And by the way, I love you. You're so nice to me. 

_Azmidiske_: Yes, you must. You should also review. ^______^ 

~*~ 

Okay then, hope you all enjoyed. Don't forget to review, I'll give you a piece of... uh... the last strawberry pocky! Yeah... Something like that. And if you don't like strawberry pocky, you get milk! And if you're lactose-intolerant then... uh... apple juice? Or something? 


	3. Ways to Die

_Whoopee! Major project of the year is completed! *does hapy dance* I've got barely any homework, so I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as I can! I was kind of mad that I only got three reviews, forty two of which were from one person, but I'm sure you could get me back in a better mood by *cough*reviewing*cough*. ^_^;;_

~*~ 

_**Hunting the Haunted**_

CHAPTER TWO:   
Ways to Die 

It had been too long since Naraku's last attack. Everyone was wary. 

The group was walking along a well-trodden path weaving through a small wood. The trees were tall, the breeze refreshing, and the birdsong redefined the meaning of life. It was a peaceful wood, but they were all on the alert. Kagome was in front on her pink bicycle, Shippo sleeping in the basket. Miroku and Sango followed, the latter currently bashing the former on the head with a small boulder. Inuyasha was last in the procession, pulling a sharp rock out of his foot. 

Shippo was feeling rather tired, having constantly been woken up by Kagome's shivering and moaning. It was obvious to the kit that Kagome had been having nightmares, but he couldn't remember what his mother had used to do to make them go away. So he was forced to lie awake next to the trembling Kagome, hoping her dream would end soon. 

Inuyasha wasn't much better. He had woken a few minutes after Kagome, shaking and covered in sweat. Shippo had been sure he would come to wake Kagome up, but he hadn't. Shippo pouted. He wanted a family again, but how could he get one if Kagome and Inuyasha kept away from each other? He'd tried all the tactics he'd ever heard of-- embarrassment, harassment, cutesy-ness, innocence... nothing worked. 

Shippo yawned. He'd just sleep for a little while, then come up with another matchmaker plan. It had been a while since his last attempt... 

_Yawwwwwwn..._

~*~ 

It was cold. 

So very cold. 

Where was Mama? Papa? 

Shippo was in the den, curled into a tiny ball, crying and trembling and wishing his Mommy and Daddy were here. They would be able to save him... 

It was spring. Flowers were blooming and trees were green and the grass was young and healthy and Mama said there might be a new brother or sister in a few months to join the family. Shippo had always wanted a little sibling... but now there was no chance. Two demons had attacked his parents while they were all on a picnic. Lightning had flashed and thunder had roared and Shippo could smell death, but he had run like his Mama had told him to, away from the torn meadow filled with the stench of death. He had run to the den, curling up into a tiny ball, hoping his parents weren't the ones that the death-smell had come from... 

Hours later, finally uncurling himself, the kitsune could stand it no longer. He ran back, following his scent, running into the meadow where his Mama had told him to run and not come back. And there she was, lying, looking like she had fallen, half her body sprawled in the long burnt ditch where Manten's thunder-breath had run. There she was, hand clasping a green leaf... 

"_MAMA!_" Shippo ran faster than he had ever run before, tripping over a rock and sprawling at his mother's side. He buried his head in her hair, long beautiful red hair that always smelled of grass and sunshine and warmth... 

If Love smelled like anything, it was like that. 

And Shippo cried and cried, mourning his parent's deaths all over again. 

His Mama's hair no longer smelled of grass and sunshine and warmth, but of death, decay, and that bitter cold that had chilled his bones when he lay curled in his own home, wondering who was dead and who was not. And her hair changed from the vibrant, healthy red to black. Soft black hair that he knew so very well... 

"Kagome!" 

And it was no longer his mother lying there, dead in the light of the sun, but Kagome, eyes closed and mouth no longer smiling, a tattered piece of Inuyasha's red kimono in her pale, pale hand. Death. Gone... forever. 

"No... no... NO!" Shippo cried, tears running down his face, not looking away from the girl, stricken by guilt and fear and hate... 

Why hate? 

When the tears finally stopped, Shippo realized why tears of hate had fallen from his eyes. 

Kagome had died because of him. Because he had asked her to help him fight Hiten and Manten, and she had, and now she was gone. He hated himself. 

"Shippo!" 

The little fox looked around with blurred eyes, wondering where the voice had come from. Everyone was dead... 

"No they aren't," came the voice. 

Perhaps this was Kagome! Kagome was still alive! This was only a nightmare... wasn't it? 

"I'm afraid not, little one," was the mocking reply. 

A demon dropped into view, hovering and smirking and leaning on that long weapon... 

Hiten! 

"Yes, you brat, it's me," Hiten said. "I'm not dead yet. You never killed me. I'm very much alive." 

Shippo gulped. Where was Inuyasha when you needed him? 

"No, that hanyou is not going to show up this time," the demon chuckled darkly. "You're all on your own. Nobody to get in your way. If you want your revenge so badly, come and _take_ it!" Hiten lunged, the Raigekijin flashing in the light of the moon. 

That was strange-- hadn't it been daytime a minute ago? 

Shippo snatched out a few leaves, trying to both Multiply himself and hide his trembling from the bigger demon. But he was too slow, the shining, sparking polearm stabbed through his heart. White hot pain spread from his chest, waves of electricity rolling over his skin. And he was dying... dying... 

~*~ 

"_SHIPPO!_" Kagome sobbed. "_Please_ wake up! Please!" She cradled the jerking kitsune to her chest, sinking to sit on the forest floor. Sango was next to her, shaking the little demon with tears pricking her vision. Miroku watched, tense, hand clenching his staff until his knuckles turned white. Inuyasha growled and took the fox from Kagome. 

He was pale as death, jerking this way and that every now and then as if electrified. Tears leaked from his scrunched up eyes, his jaw clenched as if biting back the pain. Inuyasha knew exactly how to wake him from the dream he seemed to be trapped inside. 

He bopped him on the head. 

"Wake up brat, you're making Kagome cry," the hanyou snapped, holding Shippo up by the collar and glaring at him. The little demon made a small noise and twisted, no longer twitching. Inuyasha shook him again. 

Shippo opened his eyes onto the scowling face of Inuyasha. Fresh tears began to well up in the kitsune's eyes, blurring the hanyou into a red kaleidoscope. Inuyasha winced, ready for the wail of _"KAGOMEEEEEE!!!"_ that he knew would come next, and was surprised by the feel of a tiny body latching onto his chest and crying loudly, words blubbered between sobs. 

"I dreamed... that you and Kagome... left me alone..." 

Inuyasha started. _He dreamed that we left him...? Why would the fact that _I_ left matter to him?_

And then it dawned on him, like the first rays of the sun onto a crystal clear lake in the silence of morning. 

_Shippo isn't an orphan anymore. He's found a family._

When was the last time the kitsune had woken in the middle of the night, missing his parents? When was the last fight between them that hadn't really been serious? And most importantly, why was it so hard to imagine journeying without Shippo? 

Inuyasha looked down at the crying fox once more, then turned to go. He felt the group's stares on his back, and whirled to face them, scowling. "What are you waiting for? We're not going to make it anywhere if you're all to stupid to move!" 

And he kept walking. Who knew? Maybe he'd found his own family. 

~*~ 

Obieru sighed. Nightmares took so long to take root... maybe he should just kill them in their sleep and be done with it. 

He laughed aloud at his own foolishness. Kill them in their _sleep_? What was the fun in that? It was so much better to kill them when they were awake, screaming, fear dripping from their eyes, terror choking them. He could nearly imagine it now... 

_Lying in a pool of her own blood as she looks up, blind in death, at her murderer. He looks back, horror rolling off his body in thick waves, as he runs away from his terrible deed..._

Or perhaps he would have it a different way. 

_Her arrow misses, and his claws do not. They stare at each other, seeing their murderer, seeing their love. Fear... hate... anger... each show on their dying faces. And he falls, but she does not catch him-- their love dies as they do. And there is nothing more poisonous than dead love turned to hatred..._

Obieru frowned. Somehow he didn't think that would happen. They seemed more like the "undying love" kind of couple. 

A different one? Yes. 

_He gasps, shock in his eyes as he puts a hand to the arrow in his chest. He pulls it away, covered in blood tainted with fear, eyes unseeing. And she stands alone, only now realizing that she has not hit her mark. And she screams out her soul as he falls to the ground, dead..._

So many ways to die... he had to pick one soon. Powered with so many Shikon shards, Obieru was positive that it would be a lark. 

So many ways to die... but what about the rest of them? The kitsune brat would suffer for a long time if the hanyou and human girl died, so he wasn't much trouble. The monk and the exterminator, though... 

So many ways to die... it was hard to say. Perhaps he would have the taiji-ya's younger brother do her in. Slowly. Painfully. Yes, that would work. But the monk... how would that work? He had long since resigned himself to his fate, so merely having his rosary broken wouldn't work. 

_So many ways to die... _

So hard to choose... 

~*~ 

_Okay, that's a wrap! The next chappie s proving to be longer than I expeted, but it's fluffy, a first for me, so hey, who cares? I have to build the relationships up before I can smash them down, ya know. Angst is so... fulfilling. ^_^;; _

Elyndewen Startree: Fine. Chocolate pocky for you. You were the one with 42 emails, btw. 

_Mad-Cabbage_: You can have chocolate milk if you want. And no, it's not supposed to be a Kik/Inu/Kag triangle, because everything's going to-- OOPS! Almost gave something major away! ^_^;; 

_Rekouri Sentetsu_: *gasp* Is it too confusing? *panics and dies* 

Teehee... not. ^_^ 

~*~ 

Oops! Corrected something that my friend pointed out. I'm so stupid sometimes... ^_^;; 


	4. Death by Kazaana

Stupid disclaimer... *kicks disclaimer* 

**Disclaimer: OW! Geez, not my fault you don't own Inuyasha... hmph. Sadistic freak.**

I AM NOT! *chases disclaimer with flamethrower* 

~*~ 

**_Hunting the Haunted_ **

CHAPTER THREE:   
Death by Kazaana 

_"Sango!"_ He sat up straight, sweating and shaking, whispering her name to the darkness. There was no sound-- everyone was asleep, even Inuyasha. Nobody had heard him. Nobody had seen the terror in his eyes. His nightmare... 

Miroku lifted his right hand, palm up. His wind tunnel hurt. Bolts of numbing pain shot up and down his hand. It hadn't hurt this particular way since its manifestation. He could barely move his fingers. Why was this happening? Was it about to swallow him? If so, he should leave immediately, but... could he really leave them without warning again? He knew they would just come after him again... 

If only he could see what was going on behind the rosary! He wanted to be able to see if it was growing, or splitting, or even shrinking. But there was no way anyone could do that, besides-- 

_Mushin!_

Yes, that was the answer. Miroku would find Hachi, leave a note for the others, and then have his kazaana looked at by Mushin. It was an ingenious plan, re-- 

Okay, he knew that wouldn't work. The others would get worried, come follow him, blah blah blah... 

So what could he _do?_

"There's a demon coming. Wake up Sango," said Inuyasha, eyes flicking open. 

Miroku put his hand down, walked across the camp and quickly shook Sango awake. She saw the seriousness in his face, and didn't slap him. Well, not until... 

"I can't believe he'd do that at a time like this," Sango grumbled, picking up Hiraikotsu. Miroku followed, a familiar hand-shaped mark across his face. 

"I know it wakes you up faster," he said. "There was a _reason_ this time." 

Sango nodded, going along with it even though she didn't believe him one bit. 

"Uhm... no Shikon shards," Kagome mumbled, bags under her eyes and hair sticking every which way. "I'll just find a nice comfortable hiding place until you guys are done..." She proceeded to pick up a drooling Shippo and walk away. 

Inuyasha looked at Miroku. "There's no Shikon shard, and I don't smell Naraku's venom wasps anywhere. Might as well just take it in the kazaana so we can get back to rest." 

"It would be faster," Sango agreed. 

Miroku looked at his hand. "If you want me to... I would advise getting a safe distance away from here. I'm not sure but... something's going on with the curse." 

Inuyasha looked at him, worried. "It might... happen tonight?" 

Sango looked stricken. "N-now? Tonight?" 

Miroku turned away. "It's coming. Get back." 

A large demon emerged from the tree line. It was some sort of insect-bird cross, like a feathered cockroach, with four insect legs and two legs such as the ones one might find on a chicken. It had a vaguely humanoid mouth where the pincers or beak would have been. _"Shikon shards... give them to me..."_ it shrieked, as was the usual mantra. 

Miroku quickly glanced at Sango (who would want a demon like _that_ to be the last thing they saw?), braced himself, and tore off the pale blue rosary beads. 

Nothing happened. 

The youkai continued charging, oblivious to the fact that it should have been sucked into oblivion. Time seemed to slow down. 

Miroku was in shock, having expected to be worse than dead. It is quite a shock to realize that something that one has wanted their entire life has happened without their noticing, and right when they needed it least. 

Inuyasha was equally shocked. He had braced himself for Sango's tears, and the roar of a vacuum sucking his best friend into its empty, dark domain. 

Sango-- 

_"Hiraikotsu!"_

Sango was the only one thinking clearly. 

Kirara, flames licking at her paws, rushed by Miroku, snatching him up and pulling him from the demon's path just in time. The spinning boomerang struck the youkai, severing it. Its legs wiggled feebly before it flopped over, dead. 

~*~ 

He was alive. He wasn't just alive, he was better than ever! He had a (pretty much) curse free palm! He had visited the temple earlier, where Mushin had told him that his kazaana was about the size it had been when he was four years old. 

The only possible explanation was that Naraku had died, and come back to life. Miroku didn't care much about the details, all he knew was that his life span had been nearly doubled in the last two days. He had at the very least another fifteen years to produce an heir. 

Though, it would be a shame to waste that entire time... 

They were in a village near the temple. Miroku had "exorcised" the inn, and was now looking around for a pretty girl to put "the question" to. 

There was one now! Pretty nose, glossy black hair, nice big-- 

"Houshi-sama!" Sango yelled. "Where are you going? Our food's ready!" 

Sigh. "I'll be there in a second, Sango. You guys should start without me." 

She looked at him suspiciously. "All right. But if you're not back soon, I'll come after you." And she left. 

~*~ 

"--if you would be so kind as to bear my child?" 

Sango flinched. She was hiding behind a house, listening to Miroku "socialize" with the village girls. The monk's prediction of death had scared her... shook her to the core. 

Miroku never talked about the kazaana--it was only during battles that it was ever mentioned. He was so joking, so happy-go-lucky, so... _alive_, that Sango didn't believe it was even possible for the curse to swallow him. She... she didn't want him to die. 

And now he was better than ever, and took the time to go ask girls to bear his children. Why hadn't he ever asked h-- 

Why _hadn't_ he ever asked her? What kept him from asking his favorite groping victim _the_ question? Was she too masculine? Too violent? Did he... did he just... not like her? 

"Erk! Sango! What are you doing back here?" 

Sango turned, hoping she was mistaken and it wasn't his voice she was hearing. 

_Oh, damn._

It was. 

He looked worried. "Is something the matter, Sango? Are you feeling all right?" 

_How can I possibly be all right if you hate me?_

"No, I'm fine." Her voice gave the illusion of contentment. 

"Well then, I was just coming back... can I walk with you?" 

_No! Just admit that you hate me and leave me here to die!_

"Sure, houshi-sama." Her feet moved on their own. 

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" 

_Why would I be fine? Give me a good reason..._

"Oh, don't worry about it, houshi-sama." Her mouth tilted up, barely smiling. 

"Sango? Can I ask you something?" 

_Just tell me... you don't have to ask... you know I'd do anything for you..._

"Yes, houshi-sama, go ahead." 

"Uh... you don't have to call me 'houshi-sama' if you don't want to." 

Feet stopping mid-stride, breath hitching, eyes wide. 

"I couldn't do that, houshi-sama," Sango said, laughing forcedly. She continued up the path, ahead of him, head tilted so her bangs hid her eyes. Because her eyes would betray her without a second thought. "It would be disrespectful." 

"Kagome calls me Miroku," he pointed out, jogging to catch up. 

"Kagome is... not of this time. Her customs are different from ours." A reply sure to get her out of this mess. 

He looked away. "But... I'd like it if you'd call me by my name," Miroku mumbled. 

_What--?_

Sango ran. Slipping off her sandals, into the inn, past Inuyasha and Shippo (chowing down on the miso soup that had been provided for them), past Kagome (nose buried in something strange titled Contemporary Mathematics and Algebraic Functions... weird), into a small room at the end of the hall. She shut the sliding shoji screen door behind her with a snap. 

Finally letting the tears leak from tightly closed eyes, Sango slid down the wall into a sitting position, bringing her legs up to her chest to lay her head on her knees. Crystalline trails flowed down her cheeks to soak into the pink fabric of her yukata. 

Sango's sobs and hiccups muffled the noise of the shoji opening again, but she noticed the intruder when a hand wandered to her-- 

!!! 

That PERVERT! How _dare_ he do such a thing when she was in such turmoil over him? How _dare_ he? 

Sango promptly knocked Miroku unconscious. 

~*~ 

Oh, I had too much fun writing that. It couldn't have been good for me. Anyways, I'm sorry this took so long. It seems that the chapter I had originally planned to be this one turned out to be twice as long... so I decided to split it in half and get it the heck out of here, because it was kind of rotting. u_u;; 

I also made a happy typo when I was writing this. 

**What the writing was supposed to say:**   
_"...braced himself, and tore off the pale blue rosary beads."_

**What my hands typed out:**   
_"...braced himself, and tore off the pale blue rosary beards."_

I swear it wasn't my fault! the 'e' and 'a' and 'r' and 'd' and 's' are all really close together! T_T 

So, anyways, if I keep plugging away at this, I might have the rest of the Miroku/Sango chapter in a week! However... most likely not. It's got the first sentence written, as of now... n_n;; 

Review responses! 

_Wakadori Ramen:_ Daijobu! It's okay, I know exactly how it is. Gomen to you about how long the stupid chapter is... ^_^;; 

_Love Child of Gehanna:_ Whoa... Your name changed drastically! And yeah, Obieru's supposed to suck. He's the bad guy, stupid! 

_FireDemond:_ T_T I'm soooooorry!! I didn'y mean to not-update for so long this time! 

_Mad-Cabbage:_ Uh... well, I guess I really blew the "quick update before you die of anticipation" part, huh? 

_Elyndewen Startree:_ Thanks! I went back and fixed it... heh... 

_SilverTailz:_ DON'T KILL ME!!!! 

_Inu:_ I didn't really think of the dream as "cute" when I wrote it... uh... but go ahead and think of it that way if you want to! ^_^;; 


End file.
